Arc IV: Homecoming

Chapter: The Royal Court

It had been over a week since the kidnapping and the two female Amazons leaving. Things had changed subtly for the residents of Nerima. Ranma had still not told his fiancée about the conversation he had with Cologne and Shampoo. In fact, she still had no idea they had left permanently. As far as she knew, they went on a vacation and had left Mousse in charge of the restaurant.

For his part, the male Amazon had not mentioned their exodus to anyone. He was fine going along with the story that they were on vacation. Partially because he didn't want the pity he knew would come and partly because talking about it would require thinking about it. He was still too hurt to deal with the repercussions of being completely dismissed by his love. A small part of him had some hope that Shampoo would come back but that was a hollow dream. He was glad that she had finally been forced to give up on Saotome and he knew that if she came back it would be for the pig-tailed boy and not for him.

Mousse had not decided if he would stay in Japan forever, but he would not leave before his debt to Dr. Iguchi was paid. He now spent his mornings helping the doctor in his office and opened the restaurant only for dinner. Unable to handle the business by himself, he had hired additional help. Ranma had taken back his old job as waitress, having felt guilty since his actions had caused them to abandon Mousse. Sayuri was now working with them, while Mousse cooked and Ranma worked the front, Sayuri handled deliveries. While not as fast as Shampoo on her bike, she had proven to be reliable and did the job well enough.

Life for Ranma had changed subtly. Ever since her little confession, Akane had been a little more...friendly to him. He would catch her smiling at him before she blushed at being caught and looked away.

It was just so cute.

Currently, Ranma and Akane were sitting in the school gymnasium waiting for the assembly to begin. He looked out of the corner of his eye at his fiancée and smiled a little at the other changes between them. There were small moments that were charged with electricity that drove the pigtail boy crazy. Just last night when they were studying in Akane's room, sitting next to each other, Ranma had a question on a problem and looked up only to see Akane's face so close to his as she leaned over to look over the book they were sharing.

He just stared at her then, taking in everything about her. The way her eyebrows were furrowed slightly as she tried to concentrate on what she was reading. The way her long eyelashes seemed to flutter against her cheeks when she blinked. The way she tucked her hair behind her ear absentmindedly. He had the overwhelming urge to pull her towards him and kiss her.

Just then she had looked up and locked her eyes with his. She had stared at him so intently that he found himself giving into his urges and he leaned towards her slowly. He was an inch from her when he suddenly lost his nerve and pulled back. Embarrassed he cleared his throat and looked down at his homework.

He couldn't explain why he didn't go through with it. She seemed like she wanted it as much as him but he was still so unsure of her feelings. Yes, she admitted that she liked having him around but that was still very different than saying she liked him. He knew he was being a coward but he just wanted to be sure of her feelings. He didn't think he could stand to be rejected by her in that way.

He hadn't forgotten Mousse's advice and had tried to show her he cared; he just didn't know how to go about doing it. Despite being a total ladies' man - and really who could blame them for being so attracted to him - he never really had to do anything to gain female affection. So he had no idea what to do. But he was trying.

At dinner last night, Kasumi had made Akane's favorite dumplings. His father had practically inhaled the entire plate in the time it had taken her to eat only one. Ranma had deftly swiped the last piece from the plate just before Genma could grab it and put it on Akane's plate. He had meant the move to be subtle but Genma's loud shout of outrage had drawn attention to the action.

Ranma had tried to ignore his father completely and focused on the food in front of him, his face turning red as he felt eyes on him and he knew that everyone had seen what he had done. A good five minutes later, he glanced around and it seemed that everyone had gone back to eating again. Although there was a definite gleam in his mother's eyes as she gave him a nod of approval.

When he had finally looked over to Akane, he noticed the dumpling was still on her plate. When he gave her a questioning look, she gave him a small - but beautiful - smile. He knew it was a small gesture but if giving someone the last piece of food wasn't a sign of affection, he didn't know what was.

Then he watched fascinated as she wrapped her plump lips around the dumpling and took a small bite. She chewed on it delicately and closed her eyes as she made a small moan of appreciation at the taste. The sound was so arousing his pants starting feeling tight. He was grateful that he was sitting and no one could see the effect she had on him. He turned his head until he was looking at his father and the sight of Genma chewing open mouthed guaranteed he wouldn't be embarrassed when he stood up.

Just then Principal Kuno walked onto the stage and a collective groan came from the audience and Ranma begrudgingly turned his attention forward.

"Aloha kei-kis! I be havin' an important announcement today! At the end of next week we be having a Homecoming dance!"

A collective murmur of excitement rumbled through the students. Dances were rare in Japan and most had never heard the term 'Homecoming' but that did not stop some of the girls from mentally shuffling through their wardrobes for cute dresses while others had started planning shopping trips with their friends. Some of the boys began to eye their prey...err...potential dates with barely concealed lechery while others groaned at the idea of asking a girl out.

However, a certain pig-tailed boy and the blue-haired girl sitting next to him reacted with narrowed eyes and suspicion. Both their danger senses started tingling as soon as the announcement was made. It was unprecedented that the principal did something for the students that would actually make them happy. They now listened attentively as he continued.

"We be crownin' a king and queen at da dance. So you kei-kis will nominate four wahines and four kanes by the end of the week. I will be announcing the nominees on Fridah morning."

Now the murmurs that had gone through the student body turned into a low rumble as everyone became excited. A king and queen? What kind of dance voted for a king and queen?

Principal Kuno went on to explain that it was an American type of dance he learned of while he was in Hawaii and wanted to share with the students. He told the audience that the four students of each gender who had the most nominations would be part of the Homecoming Court. Out of these eight students, a King and Queen will be selected and crowned during the dance.

Once the principal was done, the students headed back to their classes. A sense of excitement running through the school.

At lunch that day, Akane, Sayuri and Yuka were seated around their favorite tree discussing the dance.

"I'm so excited! We haven't had a formal dance here before!" Sayuri exclaimed.

"I know, we all need to go dress shopping. I don't think I have something that would be right for a dance," Yuka said.

"This actually sounds like fun but I don't know, I feel like there's something going on. I just don't trust that crazy Principal Kuno," Akane added.

"He probably does have some crazy plan but at least we all get to dress up," Yuka responded with a happy smile on her face.

"I wouldn't mind getting dressed up. How about you, Akane? Do you think you will go to the dance?"

Akane thought it over. While hanging out with her friends sounded fun, she didn't think it was the type of thing Ranma would go to and she really didn't want to go if he wasn't going to be there. As soon as the thought entered her head she shoved it away. She would not turn into one of those girls who made decisions solely based on a guy.

"It would be fun to get all dressed up, wouldn't it? I think I have the perfect place for us to go shopping! We can make a whole day of it," the blue-haired girl said, thinking of the Chiharis' shop.

"Great, now all we have to do is find some dates," Sayuri said with an eye-roll. "Well, except for Akane, we all know who she's going with."

Akane blushed and looked down at her lunch. She hoped that Ranma would ask her to the dance since there had been a subtle change to their relationship but it wasn't a guarantee. Besides, she didn't even know if he would want to go to a dance in the first place.

"No one really…I mean, it would be nice if…but probably not…he doesn't even…." she stuttered lamely as she started picking at the hem of her skirt. In an obvious attempt at changing the subject, she added, "How about you two? Who do you want to go to the dance with?"

It was Yuka's turn to turn a rather pretty shade of pink as she found the ground suddenly fascinating.

Sayuri smirked and said, "So, Hiroshi then? I can't believe you've had a crush on him all this time and still have not made a move."

Akane watched as Yuka's face grew red. She felt bad for her shy friend and decided to take the pressure off. She asked, "How about you, Sayuri?"

The petite martial artist was surprised when Yuka glanced up with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye.

"Yeah, Sayuri, who do you want to go with?" the normally quiet girl asked in a tone that implied she already knew the answer.

"No one!" Sayuri hissed, sending Yuka a glare.

Akane looked at her friends, slightly confused. Since Sayuri broke up with her boyfriend she had not shown any interest in any particular boy but it was obvious that she was behind on her gossip.

"Come on, Sayuri, you have to tell me," Akane said cajolingly. "I feel so left out."

The Anything Goes Heir pouted exaggeratedly and gave her friend big round puppy dog eyes. This caused the two other girls to break into giggles and it wasn't long before she joined them.

"You should just tell her!"

Rolling her eyes, Sayuri finally caved and said, "Fine. I kind of, sort of, maybe...like Mousse, okay?"

Akane raised her eyebrow at that. She knew her friend always found the Amazon to be attractive but this seemed to be something more. Maybe something had developed now that they were working together and without the threat of Shampoo around. While Shampoo had shown very little interest in Mousse, Akane always wondered how the Amazon warrior would react if Mousse's attention were suddenly taken away from her and she knew she wasn't the only one to harbor such thoughts. She was a little concerned for her friend's safety when Shampoo finally returned but kept the opinion to herself. Sayuri would be safe as she always worked the same shifts as Ranma and he would never let anything happen to her.

Suddenly an idea came to her and she smirked. "So, are you going to ask him to the dance?" Akane asked with unconcealed mirth. It was rare that she had an opportunity to tease her friend and she wasn't going to let it go to waste.

Yuka grinned and added, "Yeah, it would be so romantic, you can get down on one knee and everything." She too was also unwilling to let the rare moment go.

Sayuri just rolled her eyes at her friends. She didn't take any of the teasing personally since she was almost always on the other foot. "No. He has no idea that I exist, I'm just the take-out girl to him and I am fine with it. Besides, I think I have to work that night."

Akane frowned at the thought, she hadn't taken into account that Ranma may have to work, thus narrowing her chances that he would attend the dance.

The girls' good moods seemed to deflate a little as each got lost in their own thoughts. Surprisingly, it was Yuka who came up with a solution.

"How about we all plan to go out as a group for the dance? Akane can ask Mousse if he would like to come, hopefully he will say yes and you can get the night off. And Ranma wouldn't feel pressured into asking you," she said nodding to Akane.

"You know, that's a great idea. I'm sure Ranma could get Hiroshi and Daisuke to come with us too. It will take pressure of the boys and we would still get to hang out with them all night. What do you think, Akane?"

She would have preferred to go to the dance as Ranma's date but she didn't think it likely to happen. They were still awkward around each other when it came to emotions and if she couldn't be his date she would happily settle for being in the same group as him.

"Sure. That sounds like fun. But who's going to bring it up to the guys?"

"Not it," Sayuri and Yuka said at the same time.

Akane groaned and accepted her fate.

Unbeknownst to them, a similar conversation was being held across the yard.

"So Dai, you planning on askin' Yuka to the dance?" Hiroshi asked.

He knew his best-friend has had a crush on the cute but shy girl for years. He just never had the balls to actually do anything about it.

"Aww…man. I don't know. Every time I get around her I swear my brain freezes and I act like a moron. How the hell am I gonna ask her to the dance if I can't speak to her? How about you? You gonna ask Sayuri?" Daisuke responded. It was an open secret between the friends that Hiroshi thought her very attractive and would have jumped at a chance to date the girl.

"I don't know. I mean she's really cute and all but I've never really gotten a chance to talk to her. She had that boyfriend forever and when she finally breaks up with him, she seems completely uninterested," he answered with a sigh. With a nod he asked, "What about you, Ranma?"

"Me at a dance? I don't think so," he answered with a shake of his head.

Both his friends seemed surprised that Ranma seemed to actually be listening to them. Usually they talked and Ranma sat with them but still somehow slightly apart. They didn't mind though, as the pig-tailed boy was fun to hang around as his life was so full of adventure. That and he was surrounded by beautiful women. They had only asked out of politeness but thought he was day dreaming again.

"You never know, it could be fun and you could, ya know, ask Akane if she wants to go with you," Daisuke added.

Take Akane to a dance? The thought had already passed through his mind. Well, mainly the image of them slow dancing together had implanted itself in his head, having caused Ranma to space out in class. Not that anyone noticed, spacing out was the norm for him.

It would be so nice to hold her while dancing. Having an excuse to hold her in his arms for more than just a moment. And in public too!

Actually, he tried not to think too much about that last part. It made him a little nervous. He was still very uncomfortable with public displays of affection but there was no doubt in his mind that he wanted to have Akane in his arms.

"Ranma?"

Said boy shook his head a little, slightly embarrassed at being caught daydreaming.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

His two friends rolled their eyes at each other and Hiroshi repeated his question.

"Akane is sure to go to the dance, you'll be okay if she dances with someone else?" he asked a little too eagerly for Ranma's liking.

The mental image of Akane slow dancing with some random guy made Ranma unconsciously clench both fists.

"You know," Ranma finally responded, "maybe going to the dance wouldn't be such a terrible idea."

His friends tried to hold back their snickers before all three boys fell silent, each thinking about the dance and how to solve their individual problems. Hiroshi finally looked up, a grin on his face as he said, "You know, there are three of them and there are three of us."

"We can all count, idiot," Daisuke mumbled as he rolled his eyes.

"No, moron, I mean maybe we can all go together, in a big group. Pressure is off of each couple," Hiroshi explained and then added with air quotes, "but we still each have a date."

"Great, how are we going to propose that to them?" Daisuke asked.

"Hey, I can't think of everything, can I?" Hiroshi retorted.

The boys headed back to class when they heard the bell ring.

After school, Ranma, Hiroshi, and Daisuke were all hanging out by the front gate, still trying to think of a way to get all the girls to go along with the plan.

Looking back at the school entrance, Ranma said, "Hey guys, here they come. Have either of you thought of anything yet?"

The other boys look back at him blankly and shrugged.

"Great," he mumbled.

"Hey guys!" Akane greeted the trio of boys as she approached the group with her friends in tow.

When they left class and she saw the three boys standing together, she took it as a sign that now would be a good time to suggest a group date.

"So, that was a weird assembly this morning, right? I still don't fully understand the whole Homecoming thing but having a dance sounds kind of fun!" she added brightly.

"Yeah, but I can't believe they want us to get all dressed up!" Hiroshi replied.

"Oh, that's the best part! Well, maybe not for you guys but we are already planning on going dress shopping this weekend!" Sayuri added.

The other girls nodded, practically bouncing with excitement.

"So, you're all planning on going. Do you already have dates?" Daisuke asked, one hand rubbing the back of his neck nervously as he watched Yuka out of the corner of his eyes.

"No, but we're all excited about going, even without dates," Akane replied, purposefully avoiding Ranma's gaze. She knew she would look too hopeful if she looked at him and didn't want to come off as pathetic or get her feelings hurt. "We've already talked about getting ready at my place and then heading there together." She gave the boys a big smile, trying to act like she just came up with the idea, she added, "You know, why don't we all go together, in a big group? It would be so much fun! You guys can meet us at my place and we can all walk over together."

Hiroshi and Daisuke were shocked at their good luck, they couldn't believe that Akane would be the answers to all their problems. Ranma, however, noticed the sly look Sayuri and Yuka gave each other when Akane mentioned going as a group. He figured something was up when Akane came over so enthusiastically, she was normally a cheerful person but she wasn't normally so bubbly.

"You know, that doesn't sound so bad. Whadya say guys?" Ranma asked, secretly relieved he was able to go to the dance with Akane without actually having to ask her directly.

"Sounds like a plan." "Should be fun," came the simultaneous replies.

Wait. Ranma wants to go to the dance? I thought for sure he was going to say no, Akane thought as she became excited.

The pig-tailed boy only stared at his fiancée. She looked so cute when her eyes lit up like that and he couldn't help but be transfixed at the sight.

The rest of their friends were growing accustomed to this tableau and they all shook their heads in exasperation, each one thinking that it was long past time the two admitted their feelings for each other. They let this go on a moment longer before Daisuke cleared his throat loudly.

Akane looked down as her face became pink. Ranma put his hands in his pockets and looked up, suddenly finding the sky fascinating.

Yuka rescued her friends from further awkwardness by saying, "We can figure out the details later. I've got to go home, bye!" She waved to her friends and headed off.

Daisuke and Hiroshi were the next to leave, both headed to their various afternoon pursuits.

"I'm off to the Neko Hanten. Ranma, are you coming with?" Sayuri asked.

"Nah, I think I am going to drop my books off at home and then head over," Ranma said, trying to be smooth. He really just wanted to walk Akane home and have a little time alone with her. He thought he did a good job playing it off but his horrible poker face gave him away.

Sayuri smiled knowingly and said, "Okay, I'll let Mousse know you'll be in later. Bye, Akane!" With a small wave she left the two alone.

Akane waved her friend off before heading down the street with Ranma at her side. She too saw through Ranma's flimsy excuse but was rather pleased that he would go out of his way to walk her home. She had been worried that his new job would take away what little time they had together and that she would really miss him. She, of course, didn't realize they spent practically every waking moment together, and she would still have breakfast, all of school, and late nights with Ranma. All she was focused on was the time he wasn't going to be with her.

They had walked a couple of blocks in silence when Akane asked, "What do you think of the dance? The principal is up to something, right?"

"Definitely." Ranma shrugged and added, "Don't know what it is though."

"Yeah, I can't figure it out either, but it's got to be something. I can't imagine Principal Kuno being nice." They walked a little while longer, before she added, "Still it should be fun, though." Akane smiled at the thought of maybe being able to dance with Ranma.

Ranma looked over and saw the practically giddy look on her face and he figured she was thinking about dresses. She looked so happy that he knew all of the trouble that was bound to come up would be worth it.

The week flew by as everyone adjusted slightly to their new schedules. As usual, Monday morning came quicker than anyone would like. As Akane and Ranma walked into school, they noticed the grounds abnormally empty. As they entered the buildings they saw groups of students huddled around posters hung intermittently down the hall. Since they were for once on time, they stopped to look at them.

It was an announcement about the dance, listing off the Princes and Princesses of the Homecoming Court.

Princesses:

Suzuki, Hina

Tendo, Akane

Wantanabe,Yoko

Yusuke, Aoi

Princes:

Kobayashi, Houji

Nakamura, Souta

Saitou, Ren

Soatome, Ranma

They both stood there stunned as their fellow students congratulated them and headed off to class.

When lunch arrived that day, Akane and her friends walked to their usual tree and sat down. The other two girls had wanted to talk about the dance all during class but earlier, one of the boys had been acting up and Ms. Hinako had sucked out his chi. Having their teacher in her adult form, and thus actually focused on the class, made it hard to pass any notes.

"Congrats, Akane! You know you've got our votes!" Yuka said as soon as she sat down.

"Yup! I knew you would get a nomination!" Sayuri agreed.

"Thanks guys. To be honest, I'm a little surprised I was nominated." Akane replied. Sayuri and Yuka gave each other a look before Akane added, "I mean, Aoi is really popular and captain of the cheerleading team, Hina scores at the top of the class and is captain of the debate club and Yoko is in four different clubs and they are all sooo...I- I'm just not sure how I fit in with them."

Sayuri sighed and shook her head. One of the things she liked best about her friend was how humble she was. Akane was always nice to everyone because she was a kind person and in her mind there was no other way to be. She also never put much time on her appearance -because she knew that there was more to a person than what they looked like - but with her good looks she really didn't need to. Despite having almost all the boys in school after her, she never let it go to her head. But there were times, like this one, that made her friends wish she had a little less humility.

"You know, one of my favorite things about you is that you aren't conceited but this is just silly. You're easily as pretty as any of them, if not more so. You're the captain of the volleyball team. You were the lead in the school play," Yuka said ticking off her fingers as she listed each point.

"You helped the Martial Rhythmic gymnastics team. Even though you got hurt and Ranma had to compete in your place, everyone knew you worked hard to help. You single handedly came up with the idea that got Happosai to stop raiding the gym so we could all stop taking ho baths and actually have showers!" Sayuri added, her arms waving around wildly.

Yuka giggled at the term "ho bath" and added, "Not only that, but everyone loves you because you're actually nice, unlike that pompous Hina. I'm pretty sure that you're gonna win, so I'm glad you got that killer dress on Saturday!"

A couple of boys walked by then and got their attention when they shouted, "Way to go, Akane, you've got my vote!" "Mine too!" Another gave her a big thumbs up, while the last smiled and waved at her.

Sayuri raised her eyebrow at Akane and said, "See? Hell, if all of the boys who wanted to date you, voted for you, it'll be a landslide for sure."

Akane's face turned pink under all the praise and attention before saying, "Thanks guys."

She felt better after their small chat. When she saw her name on the poster that morning, she had honestly been shocked. She never gave her popularity a thought because it had often caused her more trouble than it was worth.

Sitting with Daisuke and Hiroshi across the yard, Ranma had already finished his lunch while the others were still working on theirs.

"How the hell did you get nominated?" Hiroshi said around a mouthful of food.

Ranma shrugged. He had been a little surprised that his name was on the list. With all the hijinks he had been a part of he knew he was well known in the school but that didn't make him popular. People who could be considered "delinquents" weren't normally on the list for things like this.

He wasn't the least bit surprised that Akane's name had made the list. He knew that she was popular (a little too popular with the boys in his opinion), did well in her classes, and had a lot of friends. The only real trouble she got into was being forced to hold buckets because she was often late for school, though that was more his fault than hers.

Curiosity got the better of him and Ranma asked his friends, "So, who you guys voting for?"

"Why, gonna start campaigning for yourself?" Daisuke snickered.

"No, jack-ass. I meant the girls. I don't care if I win, I don't even know why I was nominated."

"Well, I'm voting for Akane of course!" Hiroshi said. Even though he knew he never had a shot with the blue-haired girl, he always had a soft spot for her. "But if I was gonna vote for someone else, I sure as hell wouldn't admit it to you."

Daisuke nodded his head and added, "Yeah, no one's gonna admit to you who they're voting for, so don't go asking anyone else."

"What's that supposed to mean? I wasn't planning on asking anyone else."

"No one wants to be beat up, Ranma. If you ask a guy and he answers no, then you'd glare at them, thinking they were insulting Akane. But if he said yes, you'd glare at them thinking they were interested in her. It's a no win situation for the poor schmuck."

Ranma just scowled in response. He didn't want to admit that they were probably right and he would have reacted exactly that way. He never knew that he was so transparent with his feelings.

He rolled his eyes and said, "I just thought it'd be nice for her to win, ya know? She deserves some good stuff to happen to her."

Hiroshi and Daisuke gave each other a look before Hiroshi added, "Ranma, are you actually voicing some concern for Akane's happiness?"

"You guys know I never mean what I say about her. I just like teasing her," Ranma said gruffly.

He had no idea why it was so easy to admit this to them when he still couldn't make any declarations to Akane. Maybe it was the unwritten rule all guys knew that feelings weren't gossiped about. They were men, not girls.

Despite their being complete and utter perverts, these two were actually pretty good guys. Sure they couldn't fight worth a damn and he caught them checking out Akane when they thought he wasn't looking - hell they ogled her in front of him too - they were always around to have his back. In their limited capacity.

"About time! We've been telling you for ages how great she is. Maybe now, you may actually deserve her," Daisuke said.

"Nah. He'll never deserve her," Hiroshi barked out before he laughed and elbowed his friend in the arm.

Ranma just rolled his eyes, too used to their antics to pay them any real mind.

Late Saturday afternoon, Ranma was working out in the dojo with his pop. Well, Ranma was working out while his father was in his panda form napping in the corner. It was an hour before the dance was supposed to start.

He had plenty of time to get ready. His new suit was hanging in the closet of the Tendo guest room, his brand new shoes were waiting for him in the genkan. On Sunday, his mother had told him that he was to head over to the Chihari's store to be fitted for a new suit. He was rather surprised by the request since his mother and Mrs. Chihari clearly did not get along when they first met.

But the shopping expedition that she had gone on with the Tendo sisters, Sayuri, Yuka, and Konatsu on Saturday had obviously changed her mind. The store had still not opened to the public but Mrs. Chihari had been gracious in inviting everyone over to try on dresses. They decided to delay in opening the store so they could incorporate the shoes and accessories of Tatsuki's family into the space. In fact, Tatsuki and her mother, Eriko Ban, had also been there to help the girls accessorize their dresses.

It had been an all-girls event, all of the men had been barred from the shop (no one counted Konatsu as one of the men, despite him being one) and all the women had been very excited. Apparently the women had a lot of fun and everyone left the store with a new dress, including Konatsu, Kasumi and Nodoka.

He learned all of this from Sota when he had gone to look at suits. It had been awkward at first but the other man was sociable and put Ranma at ease. He was also able to meet Tatsuki and he saw for himself how obviously in love the two were. It helped ease his mind that Sota never had any real interest in Akane, and once the suspicion was removed from his mind, Ranma was surprised that he found that he actually liked the other martial artist. He still thought he was a pretty boy though and was positive that he could take him in a fight.

The pig-tailed boy smiled when he thought of Akane. She had just gotten out of the bath when Sayuri and Yuka had come over with their dresses, make-up bags, shoes, and other equipment and hauled her off to get ready.

That had been over an hour ago! How long did it take them to get ready?

Every time he had disguised himself as a girl, it had taken him no time to get dressed. Splashing himself with cold water and putting on a dress took him no longer than five minutes. So he figured that it shouldn't take Akane that long since she didn't even have to change forms!

He'd never understand girls.

Just then he heard the dojo doors slide open and he looked over to see Hiroshi and Daisuke standing at the entrance, both dressed and giving him a puzzled look. The later was in a grey suit with a skinny black tie already loosened at the neck while the former had on a black tuxedo and bow tie.

"Hey, Ranma! Why aren't you dressed? Aren't we leaving soon?" Hiroshi asked.

"Yeah, shouldn't you be getting ready?" Daisuke added.

Ranma rolled his eyes and came out of his defensive position. Maybe it wasn't just a girl thing.

"Relax, we aren't leaving until 7."

"That's in fifteen minutes, Ranma," Hiroshi pointed out helpfully.

"See? I got plenty of time."

Ranma walked over and picked his towel and water bottle off the floor, taking a swig of water before wiping his head with the towel. He walked towards the door and his friends parted for him and followed him to the house.

"I'm going to get ready. I'll be back in less than ten minutes," Ranma called over his shoulder as he headed to the furo.

True to his word, Ranma came back in eight minutes, fully dressed in a black suit, with yellow striped tie. He had originally grabbed a red tie (his favorite color) but Sota had insisted on the yellow and Ranma didn't care enough about it to argue with him. The other man was the fashion expert after all and with the very heavy discounts the Chiharis had given everyone - really, they were practically free - he wasn't going to complain.

When he reached the family room, he saw that his two friends had been joined by Taro, who had on a black suit, black shirt, and dark grey vest. He had opted not to wear a tie and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone. All three were seated at the table drinking tea, small plates of food in front of them. The dance would have some refreshments but Kasumi, being Kasumi, had prepared everyone a 'light' snack.

Ranma sat down and looked over the selection in front of him; a choice of sliced fruit and vegetables were artfully arranged on a plate, onigiri, chicken teriyaki skewers, gyoza, edamame, and red bean mochi were all available.

Ranma sat down and had only gone through a single serving of each item before Nodoka and Kasumi came down with large smiles on their faces.

"The girls are coming down shortly."

Akane was standing in her room as Yuka put the finishing touches on her make-up in front of a travel sized mirror propped on the desk. Sayuri and Yuka both came over and had their hair expertly done by Kasumi and Nodoka. Akane had offered to help but the two older women suggested she just enjoy her day with her friends and that she should let Nabiki do her make-up. She was grateful for their thoughtfulness.

The shopping trip the previous weekend was one full of fun and relaxation. When the group reached the store, they were greeted warmly by Mrs. Chihari, everyone except for Nodoka. They gave each other a perfunctory 'hello,' both were embarrassed by their behavior and unsure of how to act around the other. They were then introduced to Tatsuki and her mother Eriko.

Almost as soon as they entered the store the group split up, the younger women and Konatsu browsing the dress section, oohing and aahing over the selections. Tatsuki went with Akane through the store and helped her pick out some dresses as they got to know each other better. Akane found that she really liked the other girl and was glad that Sota had someone so kind and funny in his life.

The older women and Kasumi had taken seats around the dressing room sitting area, chatting and having tea. With her gentle manner, Kasumi soon had Yoko and Nodoka at ease with each other. When the three mothers began swapping stories about their husbands' antics and bonding, Kasumi had left them to look over some modest dresses for herself.

In short order, everyone had a small pile of items to try on and headed to the dressing rooms. Almost as soon as she tried on the dress, Akane knew it was the one she wanted to buy. She came out and blushed when everyone gushed at how perfect it was for her. Tatsuki then pulled her aside to go look at accessories. As she was a looking over two very small, very cute but impractical beaded evening bags, her danger senses tingled and she turned abruptly around.

To her surprise all she saw was Nodoka, Yoko, and Eriko standing together whispering to each other and laughing behind their hands. She felt uneasy when they all turned and smiled at her; the Saotome matriarch had a small gleam in her eyes that she couldn't place. She brushed the paranoid feeling away. After all, what did she have to worry about from those sweet women?

Akane had finished getting ready, her nails, make-up, and hair looking perfect. She had just pulled on her dress, Nodoka having had helped zip her up. She turned around and smiled as she looked at herself. Not only was the dress her favorite color, it was comfortable and gave her a full range of motion. When she originally tried on the dress she executed a few round house kicks in the dressing room because she never knew when she would end up in a fight.

She stared in the mirror before a slightly puzzled look came over her face. The dress felt exactly the same on but for some reason she seemed to be showing a lot more cleavage than she remembered. She looked up and saw Nodoka smiling at her with a twinkle in her eye and her suspicion grew.

"Umm...Auntie?" she began hesitantly.

"Yes, Akane?" Nodoka asked and gave her such a kind, loving, motherly look that Akane instantly felt remorse for ever thinking that her sweet auntie would ever do anything sneaky to her.

Suddenly she felt an overwhelming feeling of sadness as she thought of her mother. If her mother were alive, it would have been her zipping up the dress and helping them all get ready. It was moments like this that she truly missed her mother.

She had been so young when her mother passed that she only had vague recollections of her. Her memories were more of feelings than actual events but she treasured them all the same. She remembered the warmth she felt from her mother's hugs, the joy of seeing her laughing face, and the love she felt when she was tucked in at night and given a kiss on the forehead.

She wondered vaguely if her mother would have been proud of the person she had become.

Akane smiled as she looked at Nodoka. She had been there since Yuka and Sayuri has shown up and helped the girls with whatever they needed but also tried to not to be too intrusive. Nodoka had been so wonderful today doting on Akane and her friends. She had joked and giggled with them as they got ready and the blue-haired girl got a small taste of what it would have been like if her mother were alive. Just having Nodoka there made Akane feel loved. The Saotome matriarch had always treated her like a daughter and the blue-haired girl wondered if she knew how much her affection was appreciated.

"Thank you," she said instead, trying to say with her eyes all of the things she couldn't express in words.

Nodoka seemed to understand, giving her a small squeeze of her hand and said, "You're welcome."

Just then Nabiki walked into the room already dressed with Kasumi following closely behind.

"All of the boys have arrived and are having a snack downstairs," Kasumi announced to the group before she left.

Nabiki looked at her sister and tilted her head to the side as she looked her over. The youngest Tendo looked down nervously, wondering if perhaps something was wrong with the dress.

"Is that the same...?" Nabiki began.

The middle Tendo had noticed right away that the dress seemed lower cut than before and was just about to ask about it but stopped when she saw Nodoka standing behind Akane. Her eyes were wide and she waved her hands in front of her and shook her head right to left. Nabiki understood immediately and smirked at her sister.

"Is what the same?" Akane asked.

"Oh I was wondering if those were the same bracelets you wore to school the other day."

Akane gave her a funny look and said, "You know these are new, you helped me pick them out."

"Oh sorry, don't know what I was thinking. Well, since I actually have a date, I'm headed down. See you girls at the dance," Nabiki said.

As she walked out the door she winked at Nodoka who gave her a small smile and a nod in acknowledgment before she left the room.

Akane missed the entire exchange.

A few moments after Kasumi and Nodoka had come down, Ranma turned and saw Nabiki enter the room. He watched as Taro turned and goggled at her, his eyes running up and down her body. Hiroshi and Daisuke were also admiring her but trying to do it subtly since Taro was unknown to them and they didn't want to anger him.

Ranma had to admit that Nabiki looked nice, if not a little showy. What little of her dress there was was black. The front of her dress dipped low and barely covered her breasts being held up by thin spaghetti straps that wrapped around her shoulders. Below her breasts the dress cut in leaving a few inches of her stomach on display. There was a small band of material in the front that connected to the top to a long skirt. The skirt started low on her hips and went straight down to the floor. When she did a little spin for Taro's sake, Ranma saw that the dress had a slit on the right side that ran up to her thigh. The back of her dress was almost backless, the skirt portion barely covering the top of her butt and the expanse of her back completely bare. She had a gold cuff on her left upper arm and her hair in her usual bob.

He didn't know much about dresses but he knew that it suited Nabiki. It seemed he wasn't the only one who thought so as Taro was still speechless. When Nabiki walked up to her boyfriend, he could see Taro stop himself from touching her as he eyed Soun, who was in the corner of the room. The pair had walked towards Ranma and he overheard their whispered conversation.

"So, you like?" Nabiki asked, a self-satisfied smirk on her face.

Taro bent back a little to take another look at Nabiki's ass before leaning in and saying, "Very much. I'm just trying to figure out what you have on underneath."

Nabiki's smirk grew wider as she purred, "Nothing."

Ranma swore he heard Taro whimper as he followed after her, practically panting. The pig-tail boy closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to rid the knowledge from his brain. It was too much information and he wished he never heard their conversation.

Shortly after, Yuka and Sayuri came down.

Yuka was wearing a teal strapless dress with a beaded heart shaped bodice and cinched waist that flared out and ended at her knees. The layers of tulle underneath the skirt gave the dress a very 1950s feel, and with hair swept to one side in large waves, she looked very old school Hollywood. Sayuri had on a slinky dress in blue with a matching blue belt around her waist. It had a keyhole halter top and her hair was swept low and tied into a side pony-tail on her right side. Ranma smirked as he watched his friends try not to gawk at the two girls.

His head swiveled to the door as he felt a familiar presence approach. As Akane entered the room, his eyes widened and he took in his fiancée with rapt fascination.

The blue-haired girl was wearing a buttercup yellow chiffon dress with a sweetheart neckline, with rhinestone detailing along the bodice. The dress flowed gracefully from her waist to the floor in small pleats. Her hair had been blown out to add more body and framed her face beautifully. As she moved towards him the light glinted off the rhinestones drawing attention to the impressive amount of cleavage she had on display. She smiled then, that lovely carefree smile that made her eyes twinkle and seemed to make her glow. He had never seen her look lovelier and his heart began to thump loudly in his chest.

Ranma's view was suddenly interrupted by something white obstructing his view. Turning his head he saw Nabiki standing next to him waving a tissue and he gave her a puzzled look.

"It's for the drool on your face," she said dryly.

Ranma's eyes widened and he quickly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He frowned when his hand came away dry. Looking over, he saw Nabki shake her head at him in amusement.

"You're so gullible."

Behind her Taro was openly laughing at him and muttered, "Dumbass."

Ranma's eyes narrowed as Nabiki grabbed Taro's hand and they headed out the door.

Shortly after the girls had some food - a significantly less amount than the boys - the rest of the party decided to leave. Sayuri, Yuka, Hiroshi, and Daisuke were already waiting outside while Akane sat down to put on her shoes in the genkan. The shoes were silver with one thin strap over the toes and another that wrapped around her delicate ankle with a small rhinestone buckle and a three inch heel. Ranma had never found feet fascinating before but there was something about the way her foot arched delicately as she slipped her foot into the heel and how her red painted toenails looked against the silver. An image of him holding her foot in his hands as he slipped off the shoe and kissed the top of her foot before he worked his way slowly up her leg entered his mind.

He shook his head to rid himself of the tempting image and waited for her to finish. As they grew closer, Ranma noticed that Akane began to occupy his thoughts and those thoughts had taken a rather intimate turn. He was getting used to the increasingly sensual mental images he had about his fiancée but he was still embarrassed by them.

Ranma surprised the blue-haired girl by offering his hand to her help her stand, earning him a smile from both his mom and his fiancée. Although he only noticed the one from Akane. Standing up, she smiled at him before her face turned once again into puzzlement and she looked down at her feet.

"What's wrong? Shoes uncomfortable?" Ranma asked.

"No," she said quickly as she shifted her weight left and right. It was the oddest feeling but she could swear that her right shoe was just a tad bit shorter than her left. She shrugged it off and headed out the door ahead of Ranma.

Ranma watched Akane as she walked by him and his head tilted to the side automatically as his eyes narrowed in on her rear. His fiancée seemed to have a little extra swing in her hips when she moved, almost as if she were trying to strut. But he dismissed the idea as something very out of character for her. Ranma gulped at the sight before he followed her out the door...slowly. It was a nice view after all and he wanted to enjoy it.

Behind them Nodoka grinned like a Cheshire cat. During their shopping trip she asked Yoko to shorten the top of the bodice a bit and she had asked Eriko to cut a quarter inch off of the right heel of Akane's shoes. She knew that it would cause the girl to sway her hips a little as she walked. Both women were more than happy to help, completely understanding Nodoka's need to assist in her son's love life.

The Saotome matriarch had not missed Ranma's lingering gaze on his fiancee's rear or the one that lingered on Akane's chest when she came into the room. It seemed that the minor alterations she had implemented did not go unappreciated.

A/N: Big shout out to alwaysZutarian, who rocks!

Original Publication Date: October 7, 2014

Revised: May 28, 2015